Returning To 1980 To Enjoy Prosperity Chapter 189: Uncle, You're Giving Me a Favor - Novel Cool

Chapter 189: Uncle, You're Giving Me a Favor

Chapter 189: Uncle, You're Giving Me a Favor

The county theater troupe was located on North Street, just a few dozen meters from the Baise Teachers College.

The full name of the county theater troupe was the County Tea-Picking Opera Troupe. Its predecessor was the County Cultural Center, which was renamed the County Cultural Work Team in November 1959. It then became the County Cultural Guidance Team in 1961, followed by the County Cultural Team in 1965, and finally, the County Tea-Picking Opera Troupe at the beginning of this year.

On this day, Deng Shirong once again visited the county theater troupe and found Zhou, the troupe leader, who was not out performing.

After some pleasantries and a few cups of tea, they finally got down to business.

Deng Shirong said, "Director Zhou, a few days ago, my eldest granddaughter was born!"

Zhou immediately picked up his teacup and said, "Congratulations, Uncle! I'll toast you with tea in place of wine."

Deng Shirong smiled and clinked his teacup against Zhou's. After finishing the tea, he continued, "I’m here to finalize the matter we discussed last time. I plan to celebrate my granddaughter’s full moon on the 17th of the 11th lunar month. I’d like your troupe to perform that day. Is that possible?"

Zhou beamed and said, "Of course, no problem. How about we perform 'A Single Flower'? Would that be suitable, Uncle?"

Deng Shirong laughed heartily and said, "That’s a great choice. Let’s go with that."

Zhou smiled, "If Uncle is satisfied, we’ll be there on the 17th of next month."

Deng Shirong nodded, "Alright, you can stay in the same rooms as last time. I haven’t taken down the stage we built last time!"

Zhou said, "That’s great. Our troupe has performed in the countryside many times, but the most comfortable place we’ve stayed is at Uncle’s house. Of course, what the young performers can’t stop talking about is Uncle’s cooking, which is as good as a master chef’s."

Deng Shirong chuckled, "When you come, I’ll cook for you myself. I promise you’ll be satisfied."

Zhou laughed, "I’ll thank Uncle on behalf of the troupe members!"

After finishing their business, they chatted and drank tea for another ten minutes before Deng Shirong took his leave.

...

Deng Shirong’s family didn’t stay long in the county. A week after the baby was born, they packed their things and prepared to take the bus back to their hometown.

Before leaving, Deng Shirong once again visited the guardhouse across the street to get some tobacco from Old Zhang and chat for a while.

While stuffing tobacco into his pipe, Deng Shirong said, "Brother Zhang, we’re about to head back to our hometown. Could you keep an eye on my house? I don’t want any troublemakers sneaking in."

Old Zhang smiled and nodded, "Don’t worry, with me here, no one will dare to mess with your house."

Deng Shirong struck a match and lit the tobacco, taking a few puffs before saying, "I’ll probably be back after the New Year. When I return, I might have my eldest son and his wife stay in the county to do some business. If the business takes off, we’ll need to hire some help.

So, could you help me keep an eye out for a few suitable candidates? I’ll let you know when I need them."

Old Zhang’s eyes lit up. This wasn’t the modern era where you could find work easily as long as you weren’t lazy and didn’t mind low wages. In this time, it was extremely difficult for rural people to find jobs.

Now, Deng Shirong was asking him to recommend a few suitable candidates, which was a big favor for Old Zhang.

Therefore, Old Zhang responded enthusiastically, "Uncle, recommending candidates is no problem. What are your hiring criteria?"

Deng Shirong gave a hint, "I plan to open a restaurant. First, I need a security manager. This person doesn’t need to do much work, but they must be able to maintain order and prevent troublemakers from disrupting the restaurant."

Character Name Replacements:

Zhang Guoan → Ethan Wong (maintaining a similar cultural context)

Deng Shirong → Terry Tang (similar cultural context)

Uncle Jiu → Uncle Nine (transliteration, as "Jiu" means "Nine" in Chinese)

Text with Replacements:

Ethan Wong immediately understood. A private restaurant was unlike a state-run one; it was most afraid of troublemakers. Hiring someone to maintain order was not only necessary but also a very smart move. He slapped his thigh and said, "Uncle Nine, I have just the right person for this job. It's one of my cousins, only two years older than me. He has a high reputation in our village. If your restaurant hires him to keep the peace, I doubt anyone would dare to cause trouble."

Terry Tang was immensely pleased. This was exactly the kind of person he was looking for. "Brother Wong, then this position is reserved for your cousin. We can discuss the specific terms once my restaurant is up and running."

Ethan Wong nodded. "Alright, no problem. Are there any other positions you need to fill?"

Terry Tang stuffed more tobacco into his pipe and said, "We also need to hire a head chef and two waitresses. The head chef just needs to be skilled and follow instructions. For the waitresses, we need diligent and presentable women between the ages of 18 and 25, preferably fluent in both Local Dialect and Hakka."

Although he had already trained his nephew in cooking, his nephew's current skills were only suitable for home-cooked dishes. To run a restaurant, a head chef needed more than just good cooking skills; they needed to be able to handle the fast pace of a busy kitchen.

Speed was crucial. During peak hours, a head chef had to serve dishes quickly. Unless the food was so good that it was irreplaceable, few customers would be willing to wait for a long time.

Therefore, his nephew needed to work as a kitchen helper for a while to gain the necessary experience. Only by improving his speed could he become a competent head chef.

As for the waitresses, it was important not to hire only family members. It was necessary to hire two local women from the county. In this era, Hakka wasn't the universal language it would become later. Many people in the county still spoke Local Dialect. Hiring two local women fluent in Local Dialect would reduce many potential issues.

Ethan Wong felt more confident after hearing this. "Alright, I have suitable candidates for these positions. I'll recommend them to you once your restaurant is ready."

Terry Tang was deeply grateful. Having a well-connected local person to help with recruitment was truly an effort-saving strategy. He nodded. "Let's settle on that. Once my restaurant opens next year, we'll discuss the recruitment details."

Ethan Wong smiled. "No problem. I'll wait for your good news. You don't need to worry; I'll recommend only people with good character."

Terry Tang took a few more puffs of his pipe, then set it aside. "Brother Wong, you fought the Japanese, so I trust you completely. I'll leave this to you!"

Through their interactions, Terry Tang knew that Ethan Wong was a genuine veteran who had fought in the war. If not for his low education level and his desire not to burden the state, he would have been given a much better position than being a guard at the court.

Ethan Wong laughed heartily. "What trouble? You're doing me a favor, Uncle Nine."

"I've already packed my bags. I won't keep you longer. See you next year!"

"Alright, have a safe trip!"

"Thank you!"

(End of Chapter)

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